Srinagar
In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Kashmir Editors Guild has expressed anguish and pain over the brutal manhandling of journalist Aaqib Javed by Indian police, managing a cyber cell in Srinagar.
Aaqib, an accredited journalist, had been summoned over a story that was published by an on-line news portal in Delhi. The Guild said though the responsibility of the report published rests mostly with the publisher, the raw deal that Aaqib Javed got post-summoning does not suit any decision-maker.
Aaqib, in his first hand account, published by the website has said that he was slapped and abused. He also said that on the basis of the phone call, from the cyber cell, the website editor did acknowledge certain issues with the report and rectified it right away. Even if there could have been issues with the report, the reporter and the website were morally bound to rectify it, if any.
KEG has maintained throughout that the reporters, per se, lack a direct stake holding in a happening beyond reporting it for the society. Reporters’ role and that of the larger media is mostly that of an unbiased postman. However, it is tragic that every time, there is an issue; it is the messenger that is under attack.—KMS
